Ball point pen cleaner



n May5 1970 'ns/KULKA 3,509,591

BALL `POINT REN CLEANER,

Filed May I, 1968;

THOMAS S. KULKA ATTORNEYS United States Patent O U.S. Cl. --423 4 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A device. for restoring temporarily inoperative ball point pens by dislodging or otherwise removing of eliminating dried ink particles or other foreign material from the area between the ball point and the socket for such point. In all of the disclosed forms, means are provided against `which the point of the pen is firmly engaged and briskly moved, with the friction resulting from such movement serving to reinstitute rotation of the ball in the socket an thus restore the pen to proper condition for use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates as indicated to a ball point pen cleaner and relates more particularly to a device for reactivating a ball point pen that has become temporarily inoperative.

Practically everyone able to write has encounteredthe frustrating experience of either picking up a ball point pen and finding that the same does not write or of having a ball point pen suddenly become inoperativein use.. In fact, with the proliferation of use of ball point pens as a consequence of the continual decrease in cost thereof, it is not uncommon to have numerous ball point pens in the horne or inthe oflice in this temporarily inoperative state.

A -ball point pen can become temporarily inoperative for several reasons. A particle of foreign material may become lodged between the ball and the socket mounting thereof, thereby preventing rotation of the. ball and delivery of ink to the writing surface. Secondly, the ink remaining in the area between the ball and socket after the pen has been used has a tendency to dry `and harden and if the pen has been inactive for some time, such hardening can impair or entirely prevent rotation `of the ball in the socket. Either of the above. conditions willithus render the pen inoperative beforeathe `ink supply has been de pleted, which condition, if not alleviated, is not only frustrating as above indicated but extremely wasteful.

Although the user, upon encountering such inoperative condition, frequently tries prompty to activate the pen by moving or reciprocating the pen while the point thereof is in rm engagement with a piece of paper, carboard or the like, these efforts are only seldom successful, with the result being that the pen more often than not is simply discarded with no further effort being made to activate the same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the above in mind, a primary object of the present invention is to provide means for cleaning a ball point pen and thereby conditionig a temporrarly inoperative one into operating condition. In addition, such cleaner can also be used to maintain an operative ball point pen in working order.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such a cleaner which is both economical to manufacture and easy to use. In all of the several disclosed forms, simplicity of use is a common characteristic, and all such forms are likewise characterized by being relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects of the invention will `fbecome apparent Ias the following description proceeds.

3,509,591 Patented May 5, 1970 To the accomplishment of the foregoing and releated ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these. being indicatve, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be empolyed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of a user holding a cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention, and applying the ball point pen thereto for cleaning the same;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4a is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4, showing an Ialternative form of the invention having a fabric layer.

FIG. 5 is a top plan View of another form 0f the invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG.`5,

with the ball pointipen being shown in dashed lines -applied to the cleaner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in more detail to the drawings, wherein like parts are indicated by like reference numerals, and` initially to the form of the inventionshown in FIGS.`

l-4, a ball point cleaner comprising the invention is generally indicated at 10 and in the form shown comprises an annular sidewalls 12 andan `:integrally connected,` raised bottom wall 14. The cleaner can be stamped, and` during the stamping operation `ridges 16, best seen in FIGS.` `3 and 4, are formed at the junction of the annular sidewall 12 and-the periphery `of the` bottom wall 14 and extend upwardly therefrom. Adjacent `ridges 16 define therebetween `relatively depressed regions 18 all of which serve cooperatively to` provide a continuous,relatively..

corrugated circular surface.

As shown, the `bottom :wall 14 is raised andin a plane` generally perpendicular to the axis of the annular sidewall.` 12, with the Ibottom 1wall 14 including a downwardly `in-` clined annular section 20 integrally connecting the annular wall 12 with the raised bottom wall. It should `be noted that the inclined annular `bottom Wall section `20` defines with the sidewall 12 a groove 22 the importance t of which will be presently made apparent.

The cleaner 10 can be madeof any suitable material, with aluminum being entirely satisfactory and preferred. If desired, as shown in FIG. 4a, a layer of fabric `F or the like can be adhesively secured to the top surface of the bottom wall 14 and the inside surface of the sidewall 12 in order to enhance the frictional characteristics of the cleaner. In addition, the ridges 16 may in certain face dened by the `ridges 16 and adjacent flat areas 18` thereby producing jarring movement of the ball in the socket therefor. Such jarring movement, in conjunction with the frictional resistance encountered when the pen isl i moved relative to the cleaner, serves `toforce rotation of ltheball inits socket. As a result of such rotation, any .dry ink or other material lodged between the ball and the socket is removed to permit free rotation of the ball in the socket and thereby reestablish the flow of the stored ink to the writing surface. It should be noted that in addition to the mechanical elfect of dislodging dried ink or other material when the ball is rotated relative to its socket as above described, the rapid rotation of the pen, and thus the ball, during the conditioning process creates considerable friction and consequent heat formation. This creation of heat supplements the conditioning process by improving the ow characteristics of the ink in the ball joint as well as in the ink supply immediately adjacent the ball joint.

It has been my experience that a few rotations of a temporarily inactive ball point pen in the cleaner 10, as above described, will restore the pen to the writing condition, assuming of course that the ink supply is neither completely dried up or depleted.

There is illustrated in FIGS. and 6l another form of the invention. This form comprises an essentially at plate generally indicated at 30. In the form shown, the plate is generally rectangular and made of a metallic material, preferably aluminum, although it will be apparent that the shape of the cleaner and the material employed can vary as long as the cleaning function is unimpaired.

The plate 30 is formed with alternate ridges 32 and depressions 34 like those above described in reference to the FIGS. 1-4 form which cooperably provide a continuous, annular path 36.

The cleaner 30 is formed with an outer flange 38 which is in a horizontal plane somewhat below the plane of the sections on either side of the path 36, as seen in FIG. 6. The ange 38 is formed with openings 40 to permit the cleaner to be hung up or to facilitate mounting the same on a stationary surface.

The operation of the FIGS. 5-6 form of the invention is essentially the same as above described with reference to the FIGS. 1-4 form. The ball B of the ball point pen P is disposed in the corrugated path 36 and the pen thereafter rotated. The friction encountered during such rotation tends to force rotation of the ball relative to its socket thereby reconditioning the pen for operation as above described.

It will thus be seen that the objects of the invention have been fullled. In all of the several forms, the materials employed are inexpensive and the manipulative procedures for restoring the pen highly simplified.

I claim:

1. A device for cleaning the writing point of a ball point pen having a ball mounted in a socket, said device including a first material defining an endless groove having corrugations over which said point can be moved to jar the ball in the socket, and a second material secured to said rst material and lining said groove, said second material having a surface adapted to be engaged by and to frictionally resist movement of said point when the Same is pressed firmly thereagainst and moved thereover, such frictional resistance serving to cause movement of said ball point pen in said socket thereby to dislodge or eliminate material between said ball and saidsocket Vthe presence of which tends to prevent rotation of said ball.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said rst material is metal and said second material is fabric covering said metal and frictionally resisting movement of the ball point.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said rst material is formed generally cup-shaped, with the annular junction between the side and bottom walls thereof being formed with alternate ridges and depressions thereby to provide an annular corrugated surface, said second material comprising fabric overlying and secured to said cup-shaped material, said fabric material frictionally resisting movement of the ball point thereover.

V4. A device for cleaning the writing point of a ball point penhaving a ball mounted in a socket, said device having formed therein an annular, endless groove having corrugations over which said point can be moved to jar the ball in the socket, said device being made of a material having a surface adapted to frictionally resist movement of said point when the same is pressed rmly against said corrugations and moved thereover, such frictional resistance serving to cause movement of said ball point pen in said socket thereby to dislodge or eliminate material between said ball and said socket the presence of which tends to prevent rotation of said ball.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 442,888 12/ 1890 Helfrich 15-423 450,433 4/ 1891 Tallman 14S-3.2 557,670 4/1896 Hales 14S- 3.2 966,106 8/1910 Lively 15-423 1,579,972 4/1926 Thoresen 14S- 3.9 1,978,883 10/1934 Pettit 161-135 XR 2,118,169 5/1938 Crouse 161-119 XR 2,238,340 4/1941 Poe 51-181 2,963,337 12/1960 Spalek 401--209 XR 3,182,344 5/1965 Harvey 15-4 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 6,437 5 1885 Great Britain. 66,887 12/ 1950 Netherlands.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner 

